Replacing the turbo on a 6.7 Cummins can be costly, but it’s worth it to keep your heavy-duty diesel towin’ and whistlin’ smoothly.
Turbochargers are one of the most important parts of an engine, and they do wear out eventually and need to be replaced or rebuilt. In the case of the 6.7 Cummins – the VGT is what usually fails first, although it does last for quite a while.
If that’s the case for your turbo, or if you’re noticing your 6.7 Cummins isn’t performing as well as it used to or your exhaust brake is acting weird, then it might be time to replace the turbocharger.
Now, replacing the turbo on a 6.7 Cummins by yourself is not too big of a task, however, you might be tempted just to save your time and pay a professional mechanic to do the job for you. But how much will it cost?
In this article, we’ll take a look at the 6.7 Cummins turbo replacement, what factors can affect it, and long will it take.
6.7 Cummins Turbo Replacement Cost Estimate
The 6.7 Cummins turbo replacement cost can range from $2000 to $4,000 with labor included.
A brand new turbo costs $2000 to $3000, while a reman turbo goes for around 1500$.
You can save a lot of money by getting a used turbo from a wrecked truck, but it’s not recommended as you don’t know how long it will last and it likely won’t be as good as a new or reman turbo.
Now, as for reman turbos – they’re not the best choice. Remanufacturers usually do the bare minimum to get reman parts up to spec and sell them for maximum profit.
Sure, not all of them do this, but how can you know for certain?
When you’re buying a brand new turbo, you are sure that it will last a long time and you get a long warranty to back that up.
The 6.7 Cummins is a great engine, almost as great as the legendary 5.9, and it should last you for 500k miles if taken care of, therefore it makes sense to replace the turbo with a brand new one, as you will be saving money and time in the long run.
6.7 Cummins Turbo Replacement Time
Replacing the turbo on a 6.7 Cummins at a shop should take 5 to 6 hours. If you want to do the job yourself, you’ll likely spend 8-10 hours or less if you are an experienced mechanic.
If you have never replaced a turbocharger before, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
6.7 Cummins Turbo Failure Symptoms
If you’re unsure whether the turbo on your 6.7 Cummins is going bad or not, here are a few symptoms to look out for:
- Exhaust brake not working properly
- Loss of power
- Weird noise coming from the turbo
- Check engine light
- Underboost
- Overboost
These are just some of the symptoms that can indicate a failing turbocharger.
If you are experiencing any of these, it’s best to take your truck to a mechanic and have them diagnose the problem.
They will be able to tell you for certain if it’s the turbo or something else.
6.7 Cummins VGT Delete
A VGT delete is when you remove the Variable Geometry Turbocharger from your 6.7 Cummins and replace it with a fixed geometry turbo.
The VGT is the turbo that is most likely to fail on the 6.7, so some people choose to delete it and put a fixed geometry turbocharger in its place. This eliminates the risk of the turbo failing, but it also eliminates the exhaust brake which is a big drawback.
There are aftermarket exhaust brake systems out there, but a fixed geometry turbo kit costs quite a bit, and when you add an aftermarket exhaust brake system, then the final costs can be higher than just replacing the stock VGT turbo
The 6.7 Cummins is a great engine, but the variable geometry can be a weak spot. If you’re looking to delete it, expect to pay around $2000 without the exhaust brake included.
Another good option is to go with an upgraded VGT, as they last a lot longer than the stock VGT.
6.7 Cummins Stock Turbo Size
- 2003 – 2004 6.7 Cummins comes stock with a HE341CW 52/58-9 fixed geometry turbo
- 2004.5 – 2007 6.7 Cummins comes stock with a HE351CW 60/60-9 fixed geometry turbo
- 2007.5 – 09+ 6.7 Cummins comes stock with a HE351CV 60/60-9 variable geometry turbo
Conclusion
The 6.7 Cummins is a great engine, but the turbocharger is a weak spot. If it fails, it can be expensive to replace. Expect to pay around $2000 for a new turbo, or $1500 for a reman turbo.
You can save money by getting a used turbo from a wrecked truck, but it’s not recommended as you don’t know how long it will last and it likely won’t be as good as a new or reman turbo.
The best option is to go with a brand new turbo, as you will be sure of its quality and it will come with a long warranty.
Eddie is the co-founder of CarCareCamp.com, and the site’s primary contributor.
Under his belt, Eddie has a bachelor’s degree in Automotive Electronics Engineering and almost a decade of experience working as a semi-truck technician (specializing in electrics).
